I'm Blessed

So, it is once again Monday and time to...I was going to say it's time to be thankful, but that certainly is not something that should be limited to once a week. :)  I am joining my friend Gretchen and others in counting and sharing our blessings.  All last week, I found myself thinking about what I would share this week, and the thing that I kept coming back to was this: four smiling faces.

Emma is always ready with a beautiful smile (along with a kiss on the cheek or forehead).  I do think she is truly beautiful on the outside, but her sweet, loving, helpful spirit makes her a true, shining beauty.  

Having just lost one of his front teeth, Timothy was a little shy about giving me a "real" smile.  (Although, he is not really all that into having his picture taken in general.  I think he is probably a little too cool for that, but he does cooperate anyway.)  :)  I think he is still pretty handsome, and his love and concern for others shines through.

Then there is Abby (aka "Beezus").  She has the best smile!  (This is not her real smile, of course.  This is her being her cheesy little self.)

This is a little closer to her real smile, although not quite.  I wish I could have caught her real, genuine smile.  She just bubbles over with joy and you can't help but smile back.  She is definitely our little entertainer and quite the social butterfly.  She also loves to snuggle, which makes any mom's day. :)

Then there is Michael.  He is almost four months old now.  I truly cannot believe how fast the time flies.  Everyone always tells you how fast time goes when you have kids, and you never quite believe it.  Even after three others, it just amazes me how short of a time they are little babies.  He also has a terrific smile.  I just love those first, sweet gummy baby smiles.  It just melts my heart.  What, you might ask, makes this little one smile?  

 

Oddly enough, it's this light fixture that hangs over the couch in the above picture.  Every time I lay him on the couch, he looks up at this light and smiles and giggles like it is the funniest thing he has ever seen.  (In his little baby world, it probably is.)  :)  And that makes me smile and giggle every time.  

I am so very blessed to be able to be home with these sweet, precious smiling faces every day, and I am doing my very best to take advantage of every smiling moment.  

I'm blessed!

Well, last week just ended up being a busy week and I missed the opportunity to post along with Gretchen's blessing party.  When I did have time, I just decided that it seemed more important to spend quality time with Randy and the kids, snuggling and playing games, instead of typing on the computer.  (Don't get me wrong- I am not saying that sharing things about our lives on here is bad, but I don't think that it should get in the way of living life.  The whole point is to share memories, but that can only happen if we take the time to make them.)  So right now I am trying to play a bit of catch-up.

Last week, in addition to our regular school activities, we had our very first kids session with our homeschool group for this year.  Two Tuesdays a month, we meet together to have structured gym class and music class.  The kids will be learning about different composers each month.  It is so much fun to get together, both for the kids and for us moms.  The kids also spent quite a bit of time out in the field with Daddy and Grandpa.  This is always a favorite activity and a special way to spend quality time with the guys.  I think it is a terrific thing for all of them.  Last week, I had planned to share that we were very blessed to have finished soybean harvest.  Randy finished beans on Thursday, Sept. 29.  This allowed him the opportunity to do a few days of harvesting for a neighbor before the started on the corn.  This has been the case the past several years, and it truly has been a blessing!  We appreciate the opportunity to help out our friends, along with the extra money that it brings in.

Last Tuesday, the guys started on corn harvest.  The absolutely beautiful (and rather unseasonable) weather was SUCH a blessing during harvest!  Granted, the guys put in some long days, but not horribly late nights, and the weather allowed them to get so much accomplished.  It also saved a LOT of money on the cost of drying the corn.  A very quick spin through the dryer was all it took, and that is also a blessing.  What makes me really excited this week is the news that I got last night.  Randy came in around 10:00, just slightly later than he had been this harvest.  I knew they had been getting close to finishing, and I asked how much he had left.  "We're done!" he said.  This year's harvest is finished!  Now, that doesn't mean they have nothing left to do.  They still have to work the fields and hopefully get some fertilizer spread to save time next spring.  They also have to take care of the machinery and ready it for winter.  But the crazy rush of bringing in the crop is over for another year.  And that is most definitely a blessing!